Garment construction



Nov. 7, 1961 F. ROBSON GARMENT CONSTRUCTION Filed Nov. 17, 1959 IN V EN TOR. BY EQY R0250 United States atent hide 3,007,175 GARMENT CONSTRUCTION Fay Robson, Portland, Greg, assignor to White Stag Mfg. Co., Portland, Oreg., a corporation of Gregon Filed Nov. 17, 1959, Ser. No. 853,539 1 Claim. ((11. 2-221) This invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in garment construction and particularly to a novel and improved arrangement for permitting selfadjustment of the Waist portion of a garment upon the body of a wearer.

Among the several objects of this invention is the provision of a construction which is self-adjustable to assure a perfect fit at or just below the waistline of the garment without discomfort to the wearer and without the obvious display of the usual unsightly and undesirable adjusting devices and eliminating manual adjustment by the wearer to assure a snug and comfortable fit of the garment about the body.

Instead of a belt with buckle and individual adjustments which must be manually adjusted by the wearer such as before and after a meal and to compensate for variations in waist measurement due to flutuations in weight, my invention without discomfort to the wearer and without displaying the adjustment mechanism, will with adequate firmness maintain the waistline and the proper fit of the garment under all wearing conditions.

Other objects will apear hereinafter.

The invention consists in the novel combination and arrangement of parts to be hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be best understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing the preferred form of construction, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the garment embodying my invention;

FIG. 2 is a perspective View of the same with portions thereof broken away to illustrate the interior of the garment;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary detail view taken substantially on line 3-3 of FIG. 2; and

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of one of the elongated belt members and a fastener or connector embodied in the invention.

The form of garment with which my invention is associated may be a skirt, slacks, shorts, or the like. In the present form of construction, the garment 1d includes a waist portion 11, a non-elastic waist band 12, and a slide fastener or placket construction (not shown) wellknown in garment construction, which provides easy and convenient access to the garment. The waist portion 11 has formed therein what is known in the garment art as darts 13. Each of these darts 13 is provided with a slit 14 for the purpose hereinafter made apparent.

Secured by means of stitching or the like to the waist band 12 as at 15 on the outer surface of the waist portion, is the end portion 16 of a pair of elongated beltlike members 17. These members 17 are passed through a slotted buckle-like member 22 at the center point of the Waist and folded back upon themselves to provide folded portions 18. The folded portion 18 of one elongated member 17 is disposed adjacent the folded portion 18 of the other elongated member.

Each elongated member 17 comprises a non-elastic section 19 preferably though not necessarily being made from the same material as the garment, and an elastic section 19, connected as at 20 by stitching or the like.

The end portion of the elastic section 19 is passed through the slit 14 and firmly connected by stitching or the like at the side seam 21 of the waist portion =11 on the underside thereof.

This point of connection of the elastic section 19' at 21, is below the point of connection of the non-elastic section to the waist band 12 as at 15, so that the opposite ends of each member 17 will extend in diverging directions from each other, thus giving the appearance of a criss-cross belt.

As hereinbefore stated, the folded portions 18 are connected together by a buckle-like member 22. This connecting member 22 is provided with slot 23 through which the non-elastic sections 19 are freely movable. The member 22 may be of any form or design.

The unique feature of this invention consists of the fact that a pair of self-belts each anchored firmly to the waistband, approach the center point of the waist from two sides, pass through a loop or slotted member, and then, by creating a criss-cross pattern, disappear from View through a slit on either side. The continuation of this criss-cross belt after passing through the slits, has only the length necessary to connect with a strong elastic section which is firmly anchored to the end of the selfbelt and to the side seam of the garment. In its normal position, the criss-cross belt is just slightly shorter than the waistband and waist construction of the garment so as to assert a minimum effective pull on the elastic and by means of the elastic on the side seam of the garment and its back, thus maintaining the garment in place without strain. There is, however, sufiicient give to the elastic to take care of all motion on the part of the wearer of the garment and to take up any variation in the size of the waist of the wearer due to fluctuations in weight and the like.

A garment constructed with a waist portion as illustrated in the drawings and described herein, will fit snugly and comfortably about the body of the wearer and be held firmly in position upon the body. The construction also presents a pleasing and decorative appearance.

While I have illustrated and described the preferred form of construction for carrying my invention into effect, this is capable of variation and modification without departing from the spirit of the invention. 1, therefore, do not wish to be limited to the precise details of construction set forth, but desire to avail myself of such variations and modifications as come within the scope of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

A garment of the class described comprising a nonelastic waist portion with darts therein, each dart having a slit, means for permitting self-adjustment of said waist portion about the body of the wearer, said means including two elongated members folded back upon themselves and each comprising a non-elastic section and an elastic section, means for connecting the end portion of the non-elastic section to the waist band of the garment on the outside thereof, means for connecting the end portion of the elastic section to the waist portion of said garment on the underside thereof at a point below the point of connection of the said non-elastic section to the waist band, with each elongated member extending through said slit, and means for connecting the folded end portions of said elongated members together, said means permitting each of said elongated members to move relative thereto.

(References on following page) 3 References Cited in the file of this patent 1,565,049 UNITED STATES PATENTS 464,916 Taylor Dec. 8, 1891 1,199,933 Sencenbaugh Oct. 3, 1916 5 16,782 1,263,225 Gear Apr. 16, 1918 426,610

4 Block Dec. 8, 1925 Larson et a1. Feb. 25, 1941 FOREIGN PATENTS Austria June 25, 1904 Great Britain Apr. 5, 1935 

